Organization of the Perioral Representation of the Primary Somatosensory Cortex in Prairie Voles (<italic>Microtus ochrogaster</italic>).

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) are one of the few mammalian species that are monogamous and engage in the biparental rearing of their offspring. Biparental care impacts the quantity and quality of care the offspring receives. The increased attention by the father may translate to heightened tactile contact the offspring receives through licking and grooming.

Methods

In the current study, we used electrophysiological multiunit techniques to define the organization of the perioral representation in the primary somatosensory area (S1) of prairie voles. Functional representations were related to myeloarchitectonic boundaries.

Results

Our results show that most of S1 is occupied by the representation of the contralateral mystacial whiskers and the lower

SUBMITTER: Pineda CR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12227187 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature